Asterolasia elegans



© Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW), 2011

This work is copyright. However, material presented in this plan may be copied for personal use or published for educational purposes, providing that any extracts are fully acknowledged. Apart from this and any other use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW).

Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW)

59-61 Goulburn Street

(PO Box A290)

Sydney South NSW 1232

Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard)

Phone: 131 555 (information & publications requests)

TTY: (02) 9211 4723

Fax: (02) 9995 5999

Email:

Website:

Requests for information or comments regarding the recovery program for Asterolasia elegans are best directed to:

The Asterolasia elegans Recovery Plan Coordinator

Biodiversity Conservation Section, Metro Branch

Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW)

PO Box 1967

Hurstville NSW 2220

Phone: 02 9585 6905

Cover illustrator:Reproduced from NSW Flora Online (2006) with permission, © Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia.

This plan should be cited as follows:

Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW) (2011), Recovery Plan for Asterolasia elegans, Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW), Sydney.

ISBN 978 1 74122 903 5

October 2008

DECC 2008/391

Printed on recycled paper

Disclaimer

This recovery plan sets out the actions necessary to stop the decline of, and support the recovery of, the listed threatened species or ecological community. The Australian Government is committed to acting in accordance with the plan and to implementing the plan as it applies to Commonwealth areas.

The plan has been developed with the involvement and cooperation of a broad range of stakeholders, but the making or adoption of this plan does not necessarily indicate the commitment of individual stakeholders to undertaking any specific actions. The attainment of objectives and the provision of funds may be subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved. Proposed actions may be subject to modification over the life of the plan due to changes in knowledge.

Recovery PlanAsterolasia elegans

Recovery Plan for

Asterolasia elegans

Foreword

This document constitutes a Commonwealth recovery planfor Asterolasia elegans. It considers the conservation requirements of the speciesacross its known range, and identifies the actions to be taken to ensure the long-term viability of A. elegans in nature and the parties who will undertake these actions.

A. elegans is included as endangered on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act1999, and endangered on the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. A. elegans is a tall shrub endemic to the hills north of Sydney. It produces large white flowers covered in dense star shaped hairs. There are seven known populations of A. elegans. Three populations of the species exist entirely within conservation reserves.

The overall objective of this recovery plan is to ensure the long-term survival of A. elegans in the wild by promoting in situ conservation. The recovery objectives detailed in this plan include:

  • Coordinate the recovery of A. elegans,
  • Identify where the species occurs and identify and assess the conservation status of the species habitat,
  • Identify and minimise threats where the species occurs,
  • Minimise the loss and fragmentation of A. elegans habitat using land-use planning mechanisms and increase the species legislative protection,
  • Raise awareness of the species presence at sites and manage sites to minimise threats,
  • Provide public authorities with information that assists in conserving the species and
  • Promote research projects that will assist future management decisions.

It is intended that the recovery plan will be implemented over a 5-year period. The actions in this plan will primarily be undertaken by OEH in consultation with Hornsby Shire Council, Hawkesbury City Council and Baulkham Hills Shire Council, the Department of Lands and the NSW Rural Fire Service.The total cost of implementing the plan is $90,900 over a five-year period (Table 3). Implementation of recovery actions is reliant on securing funding.

Acknowledgments

The Office of Environment and Heritage would like to thank the following persons who assisted with the development of this recovery plan:

Di Campbell of Hornsby Shire Council, Michelle Ingleheart of Hawkesbury City Council and Tegan Burton from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for sharing local knowledge on threatened species management.

Nick Corkish and Natalie Izquierdo from the Office of Environment and Heritage for assisting with the preparation of the plan and providing extensive advice on Asterolasia elegans.

Clive Heywood Barker from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for providing field notes and survey data regarding the species.

Dr Tony Auld Office of Environment and Heritage for providing expert knowledge on Asterolasia elegans.

Australian Government for funding the preparation of this recovery plan..

Table of contents

Foreword......

Acknowledgments......

1Introduction......

2Legislative Context......

2.1Legal status

2.2Recovery plan preparation, exhibition and implementation

2.3Relationship to other legislation

3Species Information......

3.1Description and taxonomy

4Distribution and abundance......

4.1Definitions: populations and sub-populations

4.2Current and historical distribution

4.3Population size and structure

4.4Tenure

4.5Habitat

4.6Landform, geology and soil

4.7Associated vegetation

4.8Potential Habitat

4.9Biology and ecology

5Threats and Management Issues......

5.1Fire Frequency

5.2Water Pollution and Runoff

5.3Introduced Species

5.4Land Clearing and Habitat Fragmentation

5.5Roadside Habitat

5.6Bushrock Removal

5.7Limits to current knowledge

6Previous Recovery Actions......

7Proposed Recovery Objectives, Actions and Performance Criteria for Asterolasia elegans

7.1Social and economic consequences and cultural issues

7.2Biodiversity benefits

8Plan Evaluation......

9Abbreviations Used in this Document......

10References......

Appendix 1 Site Management Statement Pro Forma

Appendix 2 Submission

Appendix 3 Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines

Figures

Figure 1:The distribution of A. elegans

Tables

Table 1.Subpopulations and abundances of A. elegans, including accuracy and date of last survey...

Table 2.Land use, tenure and land managers for the known extant populations of A. elegans

Table 3.Estimated costs, funding source and responsible parties for implementing the actions identified in the Asterolasia elegans recovery plan.

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Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW)

Recovery PlanAsterolasia elegans

1Introduction

Asterolasia elegans is a tall shrub to three metres belonging to the family Rutaceae (McDougall and Porteners 1990). It occurs only in the northern hills of Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), and is currently only known from 7 populations in the Central Coast botanic subdivision of NSW. The species was first found in 1979, but not documented until 1990.

This document constitutes the formal Commonwealth recovery plan forA. elegans and, as such, considers the requirements of the species across its known range. It identifies the actions to be taken to ensure the long-term viability ofA. elegansin nature and the parties who will undertake these actions. The attainment of the objectives of this recovery plan are subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved.

This plan has been prepared by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage(OEH) in consultation with Hornsby Shire Council, Hawkesbury City Council and Baulkham Hills Shire Council, the Department of Lands and the NSW Rural Fire Service. The information in this recovery plan was accurate to the best available knowledge on the date it was approved.

2Legislative context

2.1Legal status

Asterolasia elegans is listed as an endangered species on Schedule 1 of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) and as an endangered species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act1999 (EPBC Act).

The TSC Act and the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Amendment Act 2002 (hereafter referred to jointly as the TSC Act) provide a legislative framework to protect and encourage the recovery of threatened species, populations and ecological communities in NSW.

2.2Recovery plan preparation, exhibition and implementation

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) provides a legislative framework for the protection of threatened species across Australia.In preparing a Commonwealth recovery plan, consideration must be given to the role and interests of Aboriginal people in the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity.

The Act seeks to impose the obligation (arising from the listing) for responsible agencies (particularly Commonwealth) to adopt protective measures.

The EPBC Act requires the Commonwealth Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts to ensure that there is approved conservation advice in place for each nationally-listed species and community. The Commonwealth Minister may also require the preparation of a recovery plan for nationally listed species and communities or adopt plans prepared by others including those developed by State agencies. The Act includes specific requirements for the matters to be addressed by recovery plans and the administrative process for preparing recovery plans. This recovery plan has been prepared to satisfy the requirements of the EPBC Act.

As A. elegans is listed nationally under the EPBC Act, any person proposing to undertake actions likely to have a significant impact on this species should refer the action to the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities for consideration. The Minister will then decide whether the action requires EPBC Act approval. This is in addition to any State or Local Government approval required.

Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995

Under the TSC Act, the Chief Executive of OEH must prepare a Threatened Species Priorities Action Statement, which outlines a strategy for the recovery of each listed threatened species in NSW. The strategy for any particular species may include the requirement for a recovery plan to be prepared, however this is no longer a mandatory requirement for every threatened species.

The actions identified in this plan are consistent with the Priorities Action Statement for A. elegans and are primarily the responsibility of OEH. Other public authorities may have statutory responsibilities relevant to the conservation and protection of A. elegans.They include: Baulkham Hills Shire Council,OEH (Environment Protection & Regulation Division and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service), Hawkesbury City Council, Hornsby Shire Council, Department of Lands (NSW) and NSW Rural Fire Service.

Consultation with Aboriginal people

Local Aboriginal Land Councils, Elders and other groups representing Aboriginal people in the areas where A. elegans occurs have been identified. Their comments on the draft recovery plan were sought and considered in the preparation of the final recovery plan. The role and interests of these Aboriginal communities will be considered in the implementation of the actions identified in this plan.

The Indigenous community groups in the area affected by this recovery plan include the Deerubbin and Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Councils, and in the area of interest to the Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation, and Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation.

Critical habitat

The TSC Act makes provision for the identification and declaration of critical habitat for species, populations and ecological communities listed as threatened. Once declared, it becomes an offence to damage critical habitat (unless the action is specifically exempted by the TSC Act) and a Species Impact Statement (SIS) is mandatory for all developments and activities proposed within critical habitat.

To date, critical habitat has not been declared for A. elegans under the TSC Actor the EPBC Act.However, this recovery plan identifies the habitat features and locations that would contain habitat that is critical to the survival of the species, as required by the EPBC Act.

Key threatening processes

A key threatening process (KTP) is a process listed under the TSC Act or the EPBC Act that threatens, or has the capability to threaten, the survival or evolutionary development of species, populations, or threatened ecological communities. There are seven KTPs listed on the TSC Act and four under the EPBC Act that are relevant to A. elegans.

Under the TSC Act A. elegans is negatively impacted by:

  • ‘Competition and habitat degradation by feral goats (Capra hircus)’,
  • ‘Alteration to the natural flow regimes of rivers, streams, floodplains and wetlands’,
  • ‘Ecological consequences of high frequency fires’,
  • ‘Bushrock removal’,
  • ‘Infection of native plants by Phytophthora cinnamomi’,
  • ‘Human-caused Climate Change’ and
  • ‘Clearing of native vegetation’, which has drastically reduced and fragmented the habitat of A. elegans.

Under the EPBC Act A. elegans is affected by

  • Competition and land degradation by feral Goats’,
  • ‘dieback caused by the root-rot fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi)’,
  • ‘land clearance’ and
  • ‘Loss of climatic habitat caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases’.

Licensing

Any activity not requiring development consent or approval under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) which is likely to impact on A. elegans, or damage its habitat, requires a licence to be issued by the Chief Executive of OEH under s91 of the TSC Act or NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act1974 as a defence against prosecution. If the impact is likely to be significant, an SIS is required.

Other conservation measures

The TSC Act includes provision for other measures that may be taken to conserve A. elegans and its habitat, including the making of a Stop Work Order or Joint Management Agreement. For information regarding the role of other legislation relevant to A. elegans see Appendix 2.

3Species information

3.1Description and taxonomy

Asterolasia elegans is one of 20 species in the Asterolasia genus, plants that are erect or prostate shrubs with stellate hairs. A. elegans is a tall shrub to three metres belonging to the family Rutaceae (McDougall and Porteners 1990). The leaves are lance-shaped with rusty star shaped hairs on both surfaces (DEC 2005). A. elegans flowers in spring producing large white flowers with long dense star shaped hairs on the outer surface (DEC 2005).

4Distribution and abundance

4.1Definitions: populations and sub-populations

In this recovery plan discrete groups of Asterolasia elegans plants that are not separated from other discrete groups by more than one kilometre are considered together as a single population. Using this definition, seven populations of A. elegans have been recognised:

  • Laughtondale Gully Road,
  • Marramarra National Park,
  • Old Northern Road,
  • Marramarra Creek,
  • Maron’s Rock Reserve,
  • Putty Road and
  • Ku-ring-gai National Park.

A sub-population is defined as a discrete group of A. elegans plants that is separated from other groups within the same population by an arbitrary distance of 200 metres or more. A total of ten sub-populations has thus been defined for A. elegans (Table 1).

Table 1.Subpopulations and abundances of A. elegans, including accuracy and date of last survey

Population no. (see Figure 1) / Sub-population / Abundance / Comments
1 / Laughtondale Gully Road (a) / 3540 (± 520) / Recorded in October 1993, prior to January 1994 wildfire when all plants were burnt.
1 / Laughtondale Gully Road (b) / 840 (± 80) / Recorded in October 1993, prior to January 1994 wildfire when all plants were burnt.
1 / Laughtondale Gully Road (c) / >230 / Estimated at >230 in March 2006; previously estimated as 2940 (± 700) in October 1993, prior to January 1994 wildfire when all plants were burnt.
2 / Marramarra National Park / 12220 (± 1980) / Recorded in November 1993, prior to January 1994 wildfire when 99% of plants were burnt.
3 / Old Northern Road (a) / Unknown / Not recorded.
3 / Old Northern Road (b) / 20+ / Recorded in September 1995.
4 / Marramarra Creek / 250 / Recorded in September 1998.
5 / Maron’s Rock Reserve / 30 / Recorded in July 1996.
6 / Putty Road / 15 / Recorded in January 1996
7 / Ku-ring-gai National Park / Unknown / Not recorded.

4.2Current and historical distribution

Asterolasia elegans is endemic to and has a disjunct distribution within the hills north of Sydney. It occurs north of Maroota in the Central Coast botanical subdivision of NSW. The species’ current known distribution equates to a linear range of less than 37 km and an extent of occurrence of approximately 22 km2 (Figure 1). While it is possible that further populations occur within this area, the species still has a small total area of occupancy.

The majority of populations are isolated by geographical features. A. elegans occurs in the local government areas of Hawkesbury, Baulkham Hills and Hornsby. All populations exist within Hawkesbury/Nepean Catchment Management Authority boundary.

4.3Population size and structure

The population size of a species is considered to be the total number of mature individuals (IUCN 1994). However, most estimates made of population sizes of A. elegans fail to distinguish between mature and immature individuals or have not been systematically surveyed after the last fire event. Therefore the total number of mature plants across all known extant sub-populations remains unknown.

There may have been significant changes in plant numbers since the last estimates were made as A. elegans is killed by fire and must grow from seed. Several populations are in areas where severe wildfires have occurred in recent years, so the numbers of individuals and the age structures of these populations are likely to have been radically altered as a result.

Prior to the January 1994 there were an estimated 16,895 individuals (Table 1). All adult A. elegans individuals at populations on Laughtondale Gully Road were killed during the January 1994 fire. The 1994 fire also impacted the Marramarra National Park population, only a few individuals survived in unburnt patches (Scott 1994a). In November 1993 measurements of A. elegans plant heights revealed that all plants were close in age, consistent with a single recruitment event, such as fire, 10 to 13 years prior (Scott 1994a).

The known extant populations of A. elegans have a scattered distribution and are isolated by geographical features such as roads and ridges (Figure 1). All populations are considered important for survival of the species.

A. elegans was first collected in 1979 from Maroota, north-west of Sydney (Scott 1994b). All specimens of A. elegans in the national Herbarium of NSW are from the Maroota area.

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Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW)